I'm a DiNozzo

S.W.A.K. (16)

Watch the first 20 minutes of S.W.A.K. Season 2 episode 22 of NCIS before reading this chapter.

Tony's P.O.V.
"You may have a point." I admitted. 

"You're afraid aren't you?" Kate asked.

"Kate come on. Me afraid?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "You ever seen me afraid?" I asked, trying to hide my obvious fear.

"Well, not when the danger's something that we can confront." Kate replied reasonable. I sat up intrigued by what she was saying. "But all we can do here is lie around, and hope that we're not infected."

"Now who's afraid?"

"Anyone with half a brain." Kate chuckled once. "I take that back. You're not afraid." Kate rolled over to face the wall instead of me.

"Ellie doesn't know yet does she?" I whispered. My eyes welled up with tears. I stood up, and walked over to Kate. "Kate, Ellie doesn't know." I repeated. My nostrils did that thing when you cry where they almost... twitch. "We need to tell her."

"We can't."

"We have to." I ran my fingers through my hair. I inhaled shakily. But we didn't.

A few hours later:
"Yeah so I opened it! What are you so upset about? It's not like you're lying..." But I cut myself off.

"Yeah. That's right, Trovolta. I'm infected too." Kate said, a sharpness to her voice I hadn't ever really heard before.

"Oh, Kate, I'm so sorry." I whispered back, not really sure how to reply to that. What were you supposed to say when you accidentally give the first person you've ever actually loved after your wife died and left you a single parent, the fricking plague?

"Well, you're going to be sorrier." She insisted.

"No," I said, sitting up slightly. "Don't tell me Gibbs got it?" I asked, fearing the worst.

Kate scoffed before replying. "No, no. Just us. But I am going to make your life Hell."

"How?" I challenged. "You can't be worse than plague... Maybe you can." I turned to doctor Brad, and chuckled once. "Maybe she can."

"I'm warning you, DiNozzo."

"Kate, I promise you. That you can't be worse than the literal plague." I turned to look at doctor Brad. "I need to make a phone call."

"I can't permit you to have a cell phone." Doctor Brad insisted, crossing his arms.

"Well can you make an exception? Or do... like an intercom or something?" I asked impatiently, coughing a few times.

"Who do you need to call?" Doctor Brad asked, walking out of the decontamination chamber.

"My daughter. I can give you the number, just... call. And fast."

Ellie picked up after just 3 rings. "Yellow!" She said brightly, drawing out the 'y' just a bit.

"Ellie?" I asked, coughing again.

"Um... dad?" She asked, apparently not recognizing my voice.

"Yes of *cough, cough, cough* of course it's me. Just, just listen for a second okay?"

"I'm all ears dad." She insisted.

"I-" I started, but then I cut myself off. Not with a cough, but on my own this time. "I need you to come and see me."

"Mr DiNozzo I don't think that-" Doctor Brad started, but he never finished.

"She won't come inside the decom chamber, but I can't explain it." I insisted, swallowing another cough.